646 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
i^eptf'niliPi' 1L’ 
; Ruralisms [ 
NOTES FROM THE RURALOROUNDS 
Good Prices for Garden PRODr('TS; 
—As an offset to this trying season 
willi its greatly reduced yields of many 
c rops fairly good prices are being real¬ 
ized in our vicinity for garden pro¬ 
duce. Summer turnips have had some¬ 
thing of a boom, as 11 carloads, or 
2,200 barrels, representing a cash dis¬ 
bursement of ?2.500. were recently 
bought tor the Boston market, in addi¬ 
tion to the regular shipments to New 
York, which net about 85 cents a bar¬ 
rel, excluding freight and commissions. 
Yankee buyers do not often come to 
New Jersey for vegetables, though oc 
casional shipments are made to north¬ 
ern markets from this locality by large 
gi’owers when prices seem to warrant 
increased transportation charges. The 
Soring drought was es])ecially severe in 
liortions of New England, and the 
weather has since averaged so cool 
that garden crops come on very slowly. 
The yield of sweet corn here is very 
liglit but in brisk demand, bringing 
$1.50 per 100 ears. Late plantings of 
good early varieties are likely to make 
an even better showing. Potatoes have 
grown vigorously, but the crop of tub¬ 
ers is scarcely as large as one would 
expect. Rot is making its unwelcome 
ai)pearaiice in many low fields, but it 
is not anticipated the damage will be 
widespread. Potato prices are less sat¬ 
isfactory than with other items, few 
.sales reaching $2 a barrel. Tomatoes 
have been scarce and sell readily at 75 
cents to $1.50 per bushel crate, accord¬ 
ing to variety and quality. Apples of 
the usually lightly-regarded Stimmer 
kinds bring about $2 a barrel, while 
Bartlett pears go readily at $4 a bar¬ 
rel. The pear crop is exceedingly light 
but of good appearance. 
New Breeds oi' Bacteria.— The 
scientists are digging deeper in the 
mysteries of soil bacteria and trying to 
discover or breed up nitrogen-gather¬ 
ing organisms fitted to live on the roots 
of grass, corn and other non-legumin- 
oiis forage crops. The immense advan¬ 
tage to the farmer of the highly nitro¬ 
genous root nodules on clovers, peas, 
beans, vetches and kindred soil-im- 
proving plants is now pretty well ac¬ 
knowledged, and if similar accommo¬ 
dating microbes can be induced to fer¬ 
tilize hay and grain crops our gain 
would be great indeed. The Germans 
have found a micro-organism to which 
they have assigned the trifling name of 
Bacillus Bllenbachiensis, and claim 
that it thrives on roots of many plants 
of the grass family, including our mosi 
important cereals. They have patented 
a culture of this long-named germ and 
offer it to commerce as “Alinit.” The 
culture comes in the form of a yellow 
Itowder and is used to inoculate the 
soil by spreading broadcast or sowing 
with the seeds. The germ is supposed 
to fix or bind free atmospheric nitrogen, 
thus greatly benefiting the crop with 
which it is sown. A California pro¬ 
fessor has been trying to wean off the 
organism of the clover nodules from 
plants of that class and cause them to 
form a partnership with corn, wheat, 
rye, etc., with some hopes of final suc¬ 
cess. The germs of clover, beans and 
similar root tubercles have been alter¬ 
ed and apparently converted one into 
the other by artificial cultures, and he 
argues they may yet be induced to 
thrive on roots of grass-like plants. 
Nitragin, the commercial culture of 
clover-root nodules, has been tried and 
found wanting as a practical fertilizer 
and is now withdrawn from the mar¬ 
ket. but the new germs mtist have their 
innings. 
Gorgeous Hifubastuums. — Almost 
everyone who raises seedling Hippeas- 
tritms is read.y to declare his strain the 
finest on earth. The blooms of even 
ordinai'y si)ecimens ai'e .st) sbow.v in 
coloring and enormous in size that 
other bulbous plants are eclipsed, while 
the perfection to which some of the 
best new varieties attain is quite as¬ 
tonishing. As a matter of fact, seeds 
on these fine plants are seldom pro¬ 
duced without careful hand pollination, 
and the grower is naturally on the 
alert to secure best results, so that lit¬ 
tle seed except of the highest attain¬ 
able quality is sown. The resulting 
plants are generally so good that par¬ 
donable pride may be taken in them. 
Some fine seedlings are produced in 
California, but the statement that flow¬ 
ers eight to 10 inches across are found 
among them need not excite undue sur¬ 
prise, as strong bulbs of several well- 
known varieties may always be expect¬ 
ed to do as well when properly han¬ 
dled. Hippeastrums are rather tender 
members of the great Amaryllis fam¬ 
ily, and are popularly known by win¬ 
dow gardeners as Amaryllis, though 
botanists now restrict this name to the 
hardy Chinese Belladonna lily, A. 
Belladonna. It is a beautiful species, 
having large umbels of white or rose- 
tinted flowers. It can be grown in the 
border with moderate protection as far 
north as Philadelphia. There are 40 or 
more species of Hippeastrums, all na¬ 
tives of tropical America, but the.v 
have been so much hybridized during 
long cultivation that few are found in 
commerce in their typical state. H. 
Aulicum, as sold by bulb dealers, is as 
near nature as any. It sends iip a tall 
scape bearing two to four immense 
crimson trumpet-shaped blooms as 
shown in Fig. 243, and is probably the 
parent of most of the magnificent scar¬ 
let hybrids, some of which exj)and 
nearly a foot in diameter. Johnsoni is 
an old hybrid very fixed in its charac¬ 
ter and is the deep-red “Pot .Xmaryllis” 
with white central stripe, .so common in 
window gardens. It is very accommo¬ 
dating in growth, and may be kept 
many years in a pot of moderate size, 
occasionally sending uj) a showy truss 
of large blooms. H. Johnsoni is now 
largely grown in Bermuda and the 
South, and is sold at the moderate 
price of 25 cents each. 
The Fixe Snow Vaideties offered 
by growers and dealers are generally 
known as Vittata hybrids. They are 
grouped in two sections, one having 
pure white flowers lightly flushed or 
striped with purple, the other with a 
ground color of crimson, scarlet or or¬ 
ange, striped and netted with light 
shades. The dark varieties are very 
handsome and are admittedly the most 
massive and imposing of all bulbous- 
flowering plants. Prices of these choice 
kinds vary all the way from $1 to $25 
each, the latter often for new seedlings 
of no greater beauty than some of the 
older varieties. We have tried some of 
the most highly lauded novelties, and 
find nothing much better than Chas. 
Dickens, white faintly marked with 
purple; Chatrain, orange-red, netted 
with white: Joan d’Arc, crimson, white 
stripes; Empress of India, magnificeiiT 
scarlet, and iiefiance, carmine striped 
with white. These varieties may be 
had for 75 cents to $1 each, except Em¬ 
press of India, which usually costs 
$2.50 each. Very fine seedlings are of¬ 
fered for 40 to 50 cents each. 
Hii’UE.vsTRUM Culture Nor Diefi- 
cri.T. —The culture of these gorgeous 
blooms is quite simple. When receiv¬ 
ed the bulbs should be firmly potted, 
using pots from four to six inches 
across. Good drainage should first be 
provided by placing lumps of charcoal, 
shells or bi-ol<en pots in the bottom, over 
which fit several pieces of coarse dried 
manure. The pot may then be filled 
with a compost of equal parts of light 
garden soil and fine old manure and 
the bulb bedded about one-third its 
depth. Soak jiot and contents well in 
water, after which give moisture rath¬ 
er sparingly until growth begins. The 
bloom scape in many varieties starts 
before or with the foliage, but if kept 
in a light and warm place the leaves 
will generally advance with the bloom.s 
and form a graceful accompaniment. 
The development of the flowers may be 
advanced by semi-weekly applications 
of liquid manure, bone dust and wood 
ashes. We have found dried blood a 
very effective fertilizer, as it becomes 
available abotit as rapidly as the plant 
requires. After blooming the spike 
should be allowed to wither before it 
is cut away and the btilb assisted to 
ccmplete its growth under favorable 
conditions until the leaves turn yellow, 
then gradually dried off and kept in the 
pot in a warm, dry place until again 
wanted. It is seldom necessary to re¬ 
pot oftener than once in two or three 
years. As offsets form they may be sep- 
aiately potted and in time will gi-ow 
into blooming bulbs like the parent. 
w. V. E. 
IF YOU ARE WISE 
You win Register at once as a 
Stmlent in one. of the Famous 
SPECIAL WINTER COURSES 
AT THE 
KIIOIIK ISL.VXD COLLEGE OF .VGlil- 
CILTCRE ANT) .HECII.VNTC AKT.S. 
Six ; FARM PRACTICE, 
I , ) Uegins N’oveml>er O 
weeks / pouLTRY-KEEPINO, 
Courses ' liegins .lamiar.v 0 
Applications are already at hand. Circulars 
free, on apiJlicatiou to 
FKESIDEXT KEN'VOX L. I5CTTE KIT EIT), 
Kingston, K. I. 
A RURAL MAIL BOX 
Should be 
simple, neat, 
strong, and 
durable. 
A box may be 
approved by 
the P. VI. Gen¬ 
eral and still 
not be satisfac¬ 
tory to the pur- 
shaser. 
Our “Uncle 
Sam's Favor¬ 
ite ” hasollielal 
approval and 
also the ap¬ 
proval of thou¬ 
sands who are 
using it and 
know it’s all right 
BOND 8TEF,L POST CO., 
Adrian. Mich 
GRAIN DmL 
The TOBK FOnCE FEED DRILL com¬ 
bines liglitness with strength. VIost complete drill 
made. No complex gearing to get out of order. Boxes 
are close to ground. Fully | 
Easily GuMruntced 
regulates 
quantity 
of seed 
or fer¬ 
tilizer, 
and 
sows 
with 
regu¬ 
larity. 
Weight, 
Only tool 
Agents Wanted. 
Write for Catalogue. 
THE HENCH&DROMGOLO CO. 
.Mfrs., York, Pb. 
PREPARED ROOFING FELTS. 
We can save you money on your wants in 
tliis line. We oiler you Two-Ply Tarred 
Rooting Felt, log sipiare feet to the i-oll, 
complete with caps, nails and cement, 
per roll, 41 I.I&. Three-ply complete, per 
roll, Vulcanite, the highest 
grade on the market, complete as above 
Price per roll, 91.50. We have all kinds 
of Roofing. ■Write for Free Catalogue No. 
6 7 on material bought from Sheriffs’ and 
Receivers’Sales. CHICAHO HOL'SKWRECK- 
1X(1 to., >V, 35(h and Iron Strecih, I'hlrago. 
Full Sacks 
of plump, rich grain are obtained 
by the use of a fertilizer contain¬ 
ing not less than 6% actual 
Potash 
For Wheat, Rye, Barley, and 
all other grains, Potash is 
most essential. 
Write for our books, 
they are yree to 
farmers. 
Qermao Kali 
Works, 
93 Nassau 
Street, 
New 
York. 
lARROW BRAND 
can be laid on 
top of old 
shingles with¬ 
out tearing off 
the old roof. 
lASPHALT READY ROOFING CO, 
8U Fine St., New York. samples. 
f IRE, WIND i WATER PROOF 
*dd to these qualities dwrablUty 
you have % 
Ich is 
r,\Ni\VV'-4 
t>. C'‘-' 
qualities a 
I and low prlcse, and y 
1 pe rfect £oo^g, wUdb 
L 
Can be put on a new roof, on 
, old shingles or tin. It’s soft 
land pliable, being easy to pat 
1 on and becomes as bard as 
slate. Send for Free Baatpla 
^ Olroalare. 
The A. F. Swan Co, street, new yom 
J.Ta'iV'Cx. 
1 I^R*LLING 
W MACHINES 
Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
shallow wells In any kind of soil or rock. Mounted 
on wheels or on sills. With engines or horse powers. 
Strong, simple and durable. Any mechanic can 
operate them easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS BROS., Ithaca. N. Y. 
Best for Water 
HORSE POWERS 
Threshing Machines. Wood Saw Machines. 
GET THE BEST, Horse Powers for one, 
two, or three horses, for running Wood Haws, 
Threshing Machines, Ensilage Cutters, etc. 
All who areinterested in Horse Powers, 
Wood Haws, or Threshing Ma¬ 
chines and En¬ 
silage Cut¬ 
ters are in- 
vited to 
write for 
fifty-page 
pamphlet. 
It's free. 
A. W. CRAY’S SONS, Pat- and SoI» .hfr,. 
P, O. Box 85 Middletown Hprlngs, Vt. 
WRITE 
FOR 
PRICES 
T 
i 
T 
it 
.r- • , 
RALPH B. CARTER 
26 Cortlandt St., New York, N. 
WRITE 
FOR 
PRICES 
CO. 
Y. 
THE STANDARD BY WHICH ROOFING 
QUALITY IS JUDGED." 
r zzZl 1— - 
l^fiRUBEROID 
( TRAOC MARK REaiSTEftlO 
ROOFING 
THE PIONEER WEATHER-PROOF AND ELASTIC HOOFING. 
WEARING QUALITIES UNEQUALED BY ANY OTHER HOOFING. 
WATER-PROOF. ACID-PROOF. FIRE-RESISTING. 
MANUF-AOTURKO AOL.KC.V RV 
"The: Standard Paint Company 
too WILUIM STREET. DEW YORK. CHICAGO OFFICE. IBS -190 MADISON ST. 
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RIFLE PISTOL CAR.TRIDGES. 
It’s the shots that hit that count. " Winchester 
Rifle and Pistol Cartridges in all calibers hit, that is, 
they shoot accurately and strike a good, hard, pene¬ 
trating blow. This is the kind of cartridges you will get, 
if you insist on having the time-tried Winchester make. 
ALL DEALERS SELL WINCHESTER MAKE OF CARTRIDGES. 
